Sheet slitting machine



Feb. 20, 1934. w, -r 1,948,385

SHEET SLITTING MACHINE Original Filed March 6, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

. 6590 90 Wbemiz ATTORNEYS,

Feb. 20, 1934. w LENTZ 1,948,385

SHEET SLITTING MACHINE Original Filed rch 6. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Men/ye Wig/212 6 1W? ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1934. G. w. LENTZ 1,948,385

SHEET SLITTING MACHINE- Original Filed March 6, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR.

flew ye Wbmiz ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1934. G. w. LENTZ 1,948,385

SHEET SLITTING MACHINE Original Filed March 6, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 N IN V EN TOR. Q

BY flearye WLe/zfz %M fiATTORNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1934. w LENTZ 1,948,385

SHEET SLITTING MACHINE Original Filed March 6. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q Q1.. f BY flea/ye Wbmlz I a ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET SLITTINGMACHINE George W. Lentz, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Bonnot Company,Canton, Ohio, a corpora.-

tion of Ohio 8 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for slitting sheets, and moreparticularly metal sheets into a plurality of strips of uniform widthfor use for example in the making of metal lath, the strips being slitpreferably by shearing by the use of a plurality of rotary cutters andsuitable driving, feeding and adjusting mechanism therefor; and thepresent invention constitutes a continuation of my prior application forSheet slit- 13 ting machines,'filed March 6, 1926,,Serial No.

The objects of the present invention are to provide improvements in suchmechanism by which sheets may be cut more efliciently than heretoforeand which may be operated and maintained more economically than othertypes of sheet slitting machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet slitting machineincluding mechanism enabling the machine to slit buckled sheetsefficiently and accurately for practical purposes.

The above and ancillary objects are attained by the use of mechanismsand arrangements hereinafter described in detail; and which in generalinclude the use of a plurality of sets of double face rotary cuttersadapted for adjustment for cutting or slitting by the action of eitherof the sets of faces, and adapted for rapid and economical regrindingwithout varying the width of strips slit thereby from a sheet, andwithout varying the spacing and position of the cutters on their arbors;and by the use of a plurality of sets of driven feed rolls on one sideof the cutters and a plurality of sets of driven delivery rolls on theother side of the cutters for more efficiently and more accuratelycutting or slitting buckled sheets.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the improved sheet slitting machine;

Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3, a vertical cross section thereof as on line 3-3, Figs. 1 and 2;one set of faces of the improved double face cutters, being in operativeadjustment with each other;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical cross section of the same at right anglesto the cross section of Fig. 3, as on line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, an enlarged, vertical, cross section of one of the improveddouble face cutters for the improved machine; and

Fig. 6, an enlarged, vertical fragmentary cross section of the machinesimilar to the cross section of Fig. 3, the double face cutters,however, being adjusted for operation by the action of the facesopposite to the faces acting in the adjustment of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The improved sheet slitting machine indicated generally at 1 includes a.pair of spaced side frames indicated generally at 2 and 2', each havingpairs of inclined legs 2a and 2a respectively, secured to foundation Cas by lag bolts 3.

Inclined legs 20. and 2a are preferably connected with each other andreinforced at their lower ends near the foundation C as by T-bars 4 and4. At their upper ends the legs 2a. and Q 2a are connected to-andsupport bearing block frames and 5 respectively.

The frames 2 and 2',-including the legs 20 and 2c, the T-bars 4 and 4'and the bearing block frames 5 and 5', are preferably made of anintegral casting.

The frames 2 and 2 are spaced and maintained preferably parallel witheach other as by means of a plurality of channel cross pieces 6, securedat their ends to the T-bars 4 and 4' as by means of Z-brackets 7 andbolts 8 and 8.

The frames 2 and 2' are likewise spaced and maintained above the channelcross pieces 6 by means of a plurality of cross bolts 6' suitablyassociated with the frames.

Vertically spaced parallel cutter arbors 9 and 9 are journaled inbearing blocks 10 and 10, and the blocks 10 and 10' are centrallylocated and slidably keyed in wide, open-end slots 5a and 5a in bearingblock frames 5 and 5 and r'emovably and adjustably supported therein asby spaced studs 11 vertically secured in the frames 5 and 5 and providedwith wing nuts 11' for clamping removable bearing block clamp bars 12and 12' upon the blocks 10 and 10'.

The ends 90 and 9a of the arbors 9 and 9 are slidably keyed in meshedgears 13 and 13 having flanged journal extensions 14 and 14' removablysecured and supported in the centrally located journal block 10 of theframe 5.

Arbor 9 is provided with a rigidly secured preferally integral spacingand abutment collar 15 for abutment, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6,with the flange 14a of the journal 14 of the gear 13.

One rigid rotary cutter 16 is slidably keyed upon the arbor 9 and abutsthe spacing collar 15, and a plurality of like rigid rotary cutters 16are slidably keyed upon the arbor 9 and spaced from the first cutter 16and from each other by a plurality of rigid sleeves 17 having desiredaxial lengths.

The end 9b of the arbor 9 journaled in the frame 5 is preferably of lessdiameter than its central portion 90 upon which the cutters 16 andsleeves 17 are strung.

The central portion 90 of the arbor 9 is provided with threads 9d for asuitable distance from the junction of the portion 90 with the portion9b, and a nut 18 is screwed upon the threads 9d for clamping thecutters16 and the sleeves 17 against the collar 15.

Arbor 9' is provided with a rigidly secured preferably integral spacingand abutment collar for abutment with the. flange 14a of the journal 14of the gear 13'.

In a manner described for the arbor 9, one rigid rotary cutter 16 isslidably keyed upon the arbor 9 and abuts the spacing collar 15'; and aplurality of like rigid rotary cutters 16 are slidably keyed upon thearbor 9' and spaced from the first cutter 16 and from each other by a.plurality of rigid sleeves 17.

The end 9b of the arbor 9' journaled in the frame 5' is preferably ofless diameter than its central portion 90' upon which the cutters l6 andsleeves 17 are strung.

The central portion 90' of the arbor 9' is provided with threads 9d fora suitable distance from the junction of the portion 90' with theportion 9b, and a nut 18 is screwed upon the threads 9d for clamping thecutters 16 and the sleeves 17 against the collar 15'.

In other words, by the above described construction, both arbor 9 andarbor 9' have keyed and strung thereon a plurality of like cutters 16spaced by like sleeves 17; and clamped by collars 15 and nut 18, and bycollar 15' and nut 18', upon the arbors 9 and 9, respectively.

A thrust bracket 19 is secured upon the outside of the frame 5' andprovided with apertures 20 and 20' in alignment with the apertures 21and 21' of the block 10' in which the arbors 9 and 9' are journaled, andthe bracket 19 is also provided with threaded apertures 22 and 22' axialwith apertures 20 and 20, and in which threaded apertures, screws 23 and23 are rotatably mounted and have their inner ends 23a and 23a.rotatably secured to plugs 24 and 24' having the same diameter as thearbor ends 9b and 9b, and abutting said ends at 25 and 25' respectively.

The screws 23 and 23' are provided at their outer ends with capstanhandles 26 and 26' respectively and have mounted thereon capstan locknuts 27 and 27' respectively.

The frame 5 also carries a shaft 28 and upon its inner end near theframe 5 is keyed a gear 29 in mesh with the gear 13' of shaft 9', and atthe outer end of the shaft 28, a gear wheel 30 is keyed and is meshedwith a gear wheel 31 keyed upon a shaft 32 suitably journaled in abracket 33 depending from the frame 5, said shaft being suitablyconnected to a housed worm reduction unit 34 which is connected in ausual fashion with a motor 35, and the motor being suitably connectedwith a source of power.

For feeding a sheet to be slit to the rotary cutters, at the feed sideof the rotary cutters in- J dicated generally at F, a plurality of setsof feed rolls are removably journaled in the frames 5 and 5', each setof feed rolls including an upper roll 36 and a lower roll 36' journaledrespectively in removable journal blocks 37 and 37; which blocks areremovably secured n. fra e 5 and 5' as by means of capstan bolts 38screwed into removable reaction bars 39 secured to the frames as bystuds 39a. The blocks 37 and 37 are removably and slidably keyed inwide, openend slots 40 and 40 in the frames 5 and 5' respectively.

Upon extensions of the feed roll journals projecting beyond the frame 5,each set of feed rolls 36 and 36' is geared to each other by means ofpinions 41 and 41', and the several pinions 41' are geared to each otherby pinions 42, suitably journaled upon stub shafts 43 secured to theframe; and the pinion 41' located nearest the gear 29 is meshed withgear 29.

For delivering slit strips from the rotary cutters at the delivery sideof the machine indicated generally at D", a plurality of sets ofdelivery rolls are removably journaled in the frames 5 and 5', each setof delivery rolls including an upper roll 36a and a lower roll 36ajournaled respectively in removable journal blocks 37a and 37a, whichblocks are removably secured in frames 5 and 5' as by means of capstanbolts 38a screwed into removable reaction bars 39 secured to the framesas by studs 39a. The blocks 37a and 37a are removably and slidably keyedin wide, open-end slots 40a and 40a in frames 5 and 5' respectively.

Upon extensions of the delivery roll journals projecting beyond theframe 5, each set of delivery rolls 36a and 36a is geared to each otherby means of pinions 41a and 41a, and the several pinions 41a are gearedto each other by pinions 42a, suitably journaled upon stub shafts 43asecured to the frame; and one of the pinions 42a is meshed with the'gear 13', which is itself meshed with the driving gear 29.

At the feed side of the machine a feed table indicated generally at issecured. The top of the feed table 51, and the nips 52 and 53 of thefeed and delivery rolls are preferably all in the same plane, and theaxes of the cutter shafts 9 and 9 are preferably located at equaldistances from this plane.

The feed table indicated generally at '50, includes a top plate 54secured at its inner end as by cap screws 55, to brackets 56 extendingfrom the feed ends of the frames 5 and 5, and the top plate is braced bydiagonal struts 57 provided with adjustable nuts 58 at their lower endsfor adjustable abutment with a cross channel 59 secured to the feed sidelegs 2a. and 2a as by cap screws 60, the struts 57 being adjustablyconnected at their upper ends with the plate 54 as by means ofadjustable tension and compression nuts 61 and 62 and angle brackets 63secured at their leg ends to the table as by cap screws 64. The tabletop plate 54 is also provided with a plurality of longitudinal anglereinforcements 65.

For providing guides for a sheet delivered to the feed rolls, aplurality of guide blocks 66 are adjustably secured at one side of thefeed table, and the blocks have faces 66a aligned so as to bring oneedge E1 of a sheet abutted thereagainst in proper alignment with thecutters 16. Table top 54 is provided with a plurality of apertures 67for lightening the table top.

Upon a plurality of cross bars 68 and 68',

preferably located between the last set'of feed rolls and the cutters,and secured at their ends to the frames 5 and 5', a plurality of angledbaffle guides 69 and 69' are adjustably mounted at their ends nearestthe feed rolls as by means of collars 70 and 70' secured to the baffleguides and slidably mounted upon the cross bars 68 and 68', the collarsbeing each provided with set screws '11 and 71' for locking the sameupon the cross bars.

The bailie guides extend between the spaced cutters and sleeves to adesired location as at i to 72, adjacent to the delivery rolls, forguiding the strips slit from sheets by the cutters 16 until the stripsreach the first set of delivery rolls adjacent to the cutters.

As best illustrated in Fig. 5, each of the improved cutters 16 ispreferably a relatively thick circular disk made preferably of toolsteel, and finished all over and provided with peripheral grooves 16aand 16a on each of the circular faces 16b and 16b forming cutting bands16c on each face of the cutter, both cutting bands being ground forsharpening.

When the machine is set up as illustrated in Fig. 3, the plurality ofrigid cutters 16 and equal length rigid spacing sleeves 17 are strungupon the arbor 9 and clamped thereon as by the nut 18 screwed up againstthe reaction of the collar 15.

Collar 15 is further abutted against the flange 14a of the journal 14 bymeans of a desired thrust applied by screwing up the capstan screw 23.

Loosely positioned prior to the above described adjustment of the arbor9. as viewed on Fig. 3, the left cutting bands 160 of the cutters 16strung upon arbor 9 and clamped thereon as by means of screw 18 andreaction collar 15', abut the right cutting band 160 of the cutters 16upon the upper arbor.9. A desired positive thrust of the left cuttingbands of the cutters 16c upon the arbor 9' against the right cuttingbands 160 of the cutter 16 upon the arbor 9, may be attained bymanipulation of the screw 23'.

When the cutters are properly adjusted, capstan lock nuts 27 and 2'1 maybe tightened to positively lock the adjustment during the operation ofthe machine.

In operation, the motor is started and the feed rolls, cutters, anddelivery rolls are caused to rotate through the driving mechanismheretofore described. A sheet S having a side edge E1 abutting theguides 66, is pushed from the feed table into the nip of the first setof feed rolls and propelled thereby and each successive set of feedrolls to the sets of.rotary cutters having their cutting bands sidesreacting against each other as aforesaid with positive means foradjusting and maintaining the adjusted shearing pressure between theside reacting abutting cutters; whence said cutters slit, as shown inFig. 2, three strips s1, s2 and s3, of uniform width, and outerlongitudinal scrap edge bands b1 and b2 from the sheet S, which stripsare guided by the bafiie guides 69 into the first set of delivery rollsand, together with the bands are propelled thereby to the second set,whence the plurality of sets of feed rolls, the thrust cutters, and theplurality of sets of delivery rolls draw the sheet through the machinein a straight line without lateral waving or twisting from side to side,and deliver accurately slit strips from the machine, and these strips,due to the outward inclination of the delivery end legs 2a and 2a, falldirectly to the floor and clear the machine.

Other types of slitting machine not provided with a plurality of sets offeed or delivery rolls, often permit a lateral waving or twisting of asheet passing therethrough, so that the tail of a sheet passing throughsuch hitherto known types of slitting machines may depart from astraight axial line.

The magnitude of the lateral waving or twisting of a sheet passingthrough hitherto known types of slitting machines, is materiallyamplifled if the sheet happens to be buckled; that is to say, if thesheets surface departs at .one or more points from a plane when thesheet is resting upon a level surface.

The present improved slitting machine being provided with a plurality offeed and delivery rolls, grips sheets passing therethrough in aplurality of places, so that lateral waving or twisting of sheets isprevented, and so that buckled sheets may be slit by the improvedmachine with substantially the same useful results as if said buckledsheets were perfectly formed.

Among the many uses for the improved machine is the slitting of stripsfrom sheets for providing a supply of strips for expanded metal lathmachines.

When the machine is set up as illustrated in Fig. 3, the continuousslitting operations may be carried on for alarge number of sheets.

While it is true that the abutting cutting bands of the cutters have atendency to sharpen each other, after a certain number of sheets havepassed through the machine as set up in Fig. 3, it is desirable toadjust the arrangement of the cutting bands to the position illustratedin Fig. 6, wherein the left cutting bands of the cutters on arbor 9thrust against the right cutting bands on arbor 9', after whichadjustment the machine may again be operated for slitting a great numberof sheets.

This change of acting cutting bands is quickly made by loosening capstannuts 11 and by raising arbor 9 sufliciently to enable arbor 9' to beslid over in the position shown in Fig. 6, after which arbor 9 may beadjusted and the machine made ready for operation by tightening andadjusting the various capstan screws and lock nuts as heretoforedescribed.

After both sets of cutting bands have become dull, both arbors areremoved from the machine and without removing the cutters from thearbors, the cutting bands of each cutter are ground down equal distancesd as indicated in Fig. 6, so that the distance D between like positionedbands on successive spaced cutters remains constant after the grindingor sharpening operation, whereby the width of strips slit from sheets bya given arrangement of cutters and sleeves on the arbor remains constantbefore and after grinding, by the above method of grinding or sharpeningthe cutters.

I claim:

1. A metal sheet slitting machine including rotary means forlongitudinally shearing the sheet, a plurality of sets of rolls forfeeding the sheet to the shearing means, said rolls holding the sheetfrom lateral twisting movement, a plurality of sets of rolls forwithdrawing the slit sheet from the shearing means, said rolls holdingthe sheet from-lateral twisting movement, and means holding the shearingmeans from lateral movement.

2. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, and a plurality of sets of feed rollsfor feeding the sheet to the slitting means, and the slitting meansincluding two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigid rotary shearingcutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for the cutters, one side ofeach cutter being in lateral shearing abutment with an opposite side ofa cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting sides of the cutters oneach shaft being similarly located, positive means for maintaining oneof the shafts immovable in the direction of its axis of rotation, andpositive means acting on the other shaft and maintaining shearingpressure between the laterally abutting cutters.

3. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, and a plurality of sets of deliveryrolls for delivering strips from the slitting means, and the slittingmeans including two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigid rotaryshearing cutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for the cutters, oneside of each cutter being in lateral shearing abutment with an oppositeside of a cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting, sides of thecutters on each shaft being similarly located, positive means formaintaining one of the shafts immovable in the direction of its axis ofrotation, and positive means acting on the other shaft and maintainingshearing pressure between the laterally abutting cutters.

4. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, a plurality of sets of feed rolls forfeeding the sheet to the slitting means, and a plurality of sets ofdelivery rolls for delivering strips from the slitting means, and theslitting means including two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigidrotary shearing cutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for thecutters, one side of each cutter being in lateral shearing abutment withan opposite side of a cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting sidesof the cutters on each shaft being similarly located, positive means formaintaining one of the shafts immovable in the direction of its axis ofrotation, and positive means acting on the other shaft and maintainingshearing pressure between the laterally abutting cutters.

5. A metal sheet slitting machine including sheet feeding means andslitting means, the slitting means including two shafts, rigid spacingmeans for the cutters, a side reacting rigid rotary shearing cutter oneach shaft, one side of each cutter being in lateral shearing abutmentwith an opposite side of the cutter on the other shaft, thrust meansmaintaining one of the shafts immovable in one direction longitudinallyof its axis of rotation, and means opposed to the thrust means andapplying positive pressure on the other shaft in the direction of itsaxis of rotation whereby shearing pressure is maintained between thelateral abutting cutters and whereby the cutters are maintained againstlateral movement.

6. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, and a plurality of sets of feed rollsfor feeding the sheet to the slitting means, and the slitting meansincluding two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigid rotary shearingcutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for the cutters, one side ofeach cutter being in lateral shearing abutment with an opposite side ofa cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting sides of the cutters oneach shaft being similarly located, and adjustable positive means formaintaining each shaft immovable in the direction of its axis ofrotation, whereby an adjusted shearing pressure is maintained betweenthe laterally abutting cutters and whereby the cutters are maintainedagainst lateral movement.

7. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, and a plurality of sets of deliveryrolls for delivering strips from the slitting means, and the slittingmeans including two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigid rotaryshearing cutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for the cutters, oneside of each cutter being in lateral shearing abutment with an oppositeside of a cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting sides of thecutters on each shaft being similarly located, and adjustable positivemeans for maintaining each shaft immovable in the direction of its axisof rotation, whereby an adjusted shearing pressure is maintained betweenthe laterally abutting cutters and whereby the cutters are maintainedagainst lateral movement.

8. A metal sheet slitting machine including means for slitting aplurality of strips from a sheet, a plurality of sets of feed rolls forfeeding the sheet to the slitting means, and a plurality of sets ofdelivery rolls for delivering strips from the slitting means, and theslitting means including two shafts, a plurality of side reacting rigidrotary shearing cutters on each shaft, rigid spacing means for thecutters, one side of each cutter being in lateral shearing abutment withan opposite side of a cutter on the other shaft, and the reacting sidesof the cutters on each shaft being similarly located, and adjustablepositive means for maintaining each shaft immovable in the direction ofits axis of rotation, whereby an adjusted shearing pressure ismaintained between the laterally abutting cutters and whereby thecutters are maintained against lateral movement.

GEORGE W. LENTZ.

